$22.89 Santa Fe Salad for Mid-Term 2026 Election from Chili’s in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget
Chili’s makes filling comfort foods even for items like salad.
On mid-term election night, I ate a Santa Fe Salad with crispy chicken tenders to relive my college days watching election returns in Chicago, usually at Bennigan’s Bar downtown. The Chicago Democratic Machine turns out the vote and turns out big money for its very nice bars and restaurants, which prepare full-menu dinners for all special events from elections to symphony fundraisers.
My new Bennigan’s is Chili’s Bar and Grill in Salinas, California. My light yet filling Santa Fe Salad featured two crispy chicken tenders that sat on top of a generous salad with the following items:
-pico de gallo salsa made up of tomato, red peppers, onion, cilantro, and lime juice
-house-made guacamole
-cilantro
-corn tortilla strips
-house-made ranch dressing
-a drizzle of spicy Santa Fe sauce
Mixed together, this salad was a spicy immune system booster with Vitamin C-rich ingredients like cilantro and pico de gallo salsa. Vitamin C is also a strong antioxidant and helps regenerate cells in the body.
I ate a few extra tortilla chips with the salad, but just alone it was sufficient.
I liked eating something healthy on election night when a historical race was happening here in California – Xavier Becerra was elected the first Latino governor.
(I also watched Harold Washington, the first African-American mayor of Chicago, be elected in Chicago at Bennigan’s. I got news of Deb Halaand’s Neew MEXICO WIN ON TikTok. If you live long enough, you see lots of “firsts.”)
Chili’s Santa Fe salad is a really good catering item for fundraisers for its easy assembly and availability of basic ingredients locally. These salads also come in easily stackable delivery boxes.
I like the Santa Fe Salad from Chili's in Salinas (California) and think salad lovers would like it too. It has an added benefit of being a not too expensive dish to use for fundraisers.
Bon Appétit!
By Ruth Paget
-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books
-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games
-developer of food and beverage knowledge games
-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center
-creator of French travel and culture games
-writer of 2000+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs
-family genealogist
-developer of 9 music theory games
